title: Growth inhibition and apoptosis induction by tanshinone I in human colon cancer Colo 205 cells.
abstract: Tanshinone I (Tan-I) and tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) were isolated from Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix), a widely prescribed traditional herbal medicine that is used to treat cardiovascular and dysmenorrhea diseases. In our previous study, Tan-IIA was demonstrated to induce apoptosis in human colon cancer Colo 205 cells. However, the effect of Tan-I on human colon cancer cells is not clearly understood yet. In this study, the anti-growth and apoptosis-eliciting effects of Tan-I, as well as its cellular mechanisms of actions, were investigated in Colo 205 human colon cancer cells. Tan-I reduced cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner, inducing apoptosis accompanied by an increase in TUNEL staining and in cells in the sub-G1 fraction. The expression of p53, p21, bax and caspase-3 increased in Tan-I-treated cells. In addition, the cell cycle analysis showed G0/G1 arrest. These findings suggest that Tan-I induces apoptosis in Colo 205 cells through both mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic cell-death pathways and p21-mediated G0/G1cell cycle arrest. Accordingly, the therapeutic potential of Tan-I for colon cancer deserves further study.
authors.affiliation: Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Division of General Surgery, Hualien 970, Taiwan, ROC. succ.maeva@msa.hinet.net
authors.forename: Chin-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Guang-Wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jaung-Geng
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494826:BAX protein, human; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C021751:tanshinone; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3